Molding apparatus



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Aug. M, 11923.

K. ENGEL PJOLDING APPARA''Us Original Filed Feb. 4, 192% Petented Ang., 14, 1923.,

Unirea erarae meren;

mem rename-o KABA& ENGEL, OF ARLNGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR '120 'UNITED SHOE I MACHINERY CORPORATION, OJF PATERSON, 'NEW JERSEY, .A CORPORATION OF NEW anasnr. y

MOILDING nrrenn rosi Original. application filed February 4, 1918, eral No. 215339, now Patent No. 1281540, dated October 15, 1918. jrividei` and this application filed October 14, 1918, Serial No. 251954. Renewed November 2.1; 1926.

To all whom it may camera: Be it known that I, KARL ENGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arlington, in the county of Middlesex and 'State e of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Molding Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with` the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the draww ings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to molding apparatus, and is illustrated as embodicd in the lower mold of a sole-molding machine of well-known type. The present application is a division oi' my prior application Serial No. 215339, filed Feb. t, 1918 (Patent No. 1281540, granted Oct. 15, 1918).

It has heretofore been necessary to mold 2 soles and attach shank stifiener's in separate Operations, in order to secure accurate positioning of the stiii eners with reference to the irregular curves of the molded soles. According to the novel method claimed in 2 my above-identified parent application, the stifieners are attached during, and as a part of, the sole-molding operation.

An object of the present invention is to' facilitate this method of operation by pro viding for accurately locating the shank stieners with respect to the soles to which i they are to be' attached. From this point of View the invention may be regarded as comprising a mold having a surface curved to form a sole and having means to engage a stifi'ener and position it accurately in predetermined relation to the curves of' the molding surface. As illustrated, a member such as a locating pin carried by the mold 450 engages the stiiener and predetermines its longitudinal position relatively to the break at the ball line of the sole., and other means such as another stifl'ener-engaging member is provided for predetermining its lateral position.

Other objects and ;features of the inven tion will appear from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanyng drawings which illustrate a preierred embodiment of the invention and the invention will then be defined in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the shankv shapedpreserving element made in accordance with the nventon;

Fig. 2 illustrates in plan View and in side elevation a shank-shaped preserving element constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. '3 is a View partly in longtudinal cross-section showing the shank-shaped preservng element assembled with the shaping molds for the operation of shaping the said element; A

Fig. 4 illustrates in longitudinal section the operation of the shaping molds;

F g. 5 is a longitudinal cross section illustratng a shoe sole and the shank-shaped prcservng element of the present invention assembled for the operation of the sole-shaping molds; a

Fig. 6 is a detail sectionshowing the attachng prong provided at the forward ends of the shank-shaped preserving element.

in the drawings, l represents the blank which is to constitute the shank-shaped preserving element. This blank is cut out from sheet metal possessing the right degree of hardness to meet the requirements of the kind of shoe to be made and to stifi'en the shank ortion of the quality of sole to be used. referably, and as herein shown, the blank is shaped generally to fit within the inseam of the shoe from the heel seat portion to substantially the break or ball line of the shoe. In cutting out this blank a projecting prong 2 is formed at each of"the forwardcorners an d at the rear corners of the blaink and two holes 16 and 18 are also formed in the blank as shown in Figs. l and 2. The hole 16 is located substantially centrally on the blank at the point of the highest longitudinal curvature of the finally shaped blank while the hole 18 which is elongated is located forwardly of the hole 16 and in the median line of the blank. To enable the prongs 2 at the forward end of the blank readily to' enter the sole in predetermined direction they are preferably beveled as shown in Fig. 6. The blank as thus cut out is molded to the precise shape that it is desired for the shank portion of the sole of the shoe to possess both as to longitudinal curvature or inclination and as to transverse curvature.

Also the molding operation serves to bend the p'ongs '2 into the desired angular relation to the body of the blank. I

Conveniently the nolding of the shank stitl ening blank is (lone between co-operating dies or molds 4 and (i which may be of any well-known constructon and operated by'any suitable neelmnism. The bottom mold 6 is shaped to present thelongitudinally and transve'sely eurved acting surface desired for the shank-stitfening deviee to assume and u pair of blank-positioning pins or pilots 5 are fixed in the mold so as to project through the h'oles 16, 18 n the 4 blank 1 and hold it in position in the nold,

spond to the shape of a finished sole, and the pins serve to position the shank-stifi'ening device in predetermined relation thereto to beshaped to correspond to the sole to which it is to be attached. At either corncr of the molding surface prong-shaping recesses'7 are provided to receive and properlyshape the projecting prongs 2 of the blank The co-operating mold 4 presents a longitudinally and transversely curved molding surface which is complemental to that of the mold 6 and is provided with recesses 8 to receive the projecting ends of the blank-positioning pilots 5. Depending from the molding surface of the mold at each corner is a prong-bending member 9 which is suitably formed to co-operate with each of the recesses 7 to bend the prongs 2 at the forward ends of the stifl'ener blank to approximately relatively to the body of the blank and the rear prongs to approximately 90. The blank shown in Fig. 2 is transformed by the molds 4 and 6 into the shank-shaped preserving element shown in Fig. 1. This shape preserving element has a longitudinal and transverse curvature corresponding to the longitudinally arched conformation of the shank of the Shoe and a transverse curvature corresponding to the lateral convexity desired for the shank portion of the sole. This transverse curvature of the stifl'ening device is of considerable practical importance inasmuch as it serves to increase the rigidity and strength of the shank, so much so in fact, that under ordinary conditions a relatively thin piece of metal may be used to constitute the stifi'ener. Moreover it will e found unnecessary to temper the metal after the' desired shape has been imparted to it in order for it to have the required strength and stifi'ness' The shank-shaped preserving element as a result of the shaping operation conforms to the molding face of the sole molding molds which are to mold a sole for the Shoe in the desired manner.

In the use of the shank stifl'oner in aceordance with the method disclosed in the above-identified application, the stifener device 1 is placed upon an improvedbottom mold 12. This mold is shaped to the longitudinal and transverse curvature of atinished sole, with a pronounced break at the ball line, and is formed with means for positioning the above-described stifi'ener in predeternnned relation to a sole, and es- 'pecially in predetermined relation to the ball line. As illustrated, pilots or locating pins 15 are provided, one of which enters hole 16 to determine the longitudinal position of the stifl'ener, and the other of which enters hole 18 to determine its lateral position. Thereafter, a sole 10 which has been previously died out to substantially edge contour is asse'mbled in the sole molds in proper longitudinal and transverse position all as indicated in Fig. 5. Co-operatin with mold 12 is an upper mold 14 of usua form. These sole molds 12 and 14 are operated by means well-known in the sole molding art as described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,004,07 5,

` 'ranted Sept. 26, 1911, on application of dwin K. Preble, and in tlhe first phase of the sole molding operation the sole blank is conformed longtudinally and transversely into near parallelism with the opposed 'face of the stifl'ening device 1 and the molding sur-' faces of the molds 12, 14. As an incident to this phase of the sole molding operation the sole is forced upon the prongs 2 at the for ward end of the stiflener which by reason of their inclination act to draw the sole rearwardly in the mold and into finally attacged position on. the stifener. As the press' re continues, there being, of course, no separate stages in the application of the molding pressure, the prongs 2 at the rear of the stifi'ener are forced into the sole and owing to their inclination relatively to the forward prongs 2 act to impale the stifener on the sole and prevent endwise movement of the stiifener which would tend to Withdraw the forward prongs from the sole. In the final application of pressure the sole is molded to the exact shape which has been previously given to the shank-stiffening device and inasmuch as the stift'ener becomes finally aflixed to the sole by reason of the prongs as an incident to the molding operation the stiifener is thus enabled effectiVely to maintain the conformation im- -parted to the sole. This latter function of the stifi'ener is assisted to a large extent by the provision of the prongs at either of the forward corners of the stiffener since they engage the sole at. either side and thus are effective in holding the sole to the transverse convexity imparted to it. It will be noted that the inclination of the prongs at' the forward end of the stifener enables them finally to enter the sole Without injuring or marring the outer tread surface of the sole. Since the rear prongs are located within the area of'the heel seat it is immaterial whether they project through to 'the tread side of the sole.

The bulkiness of the shoe in the shank is not increased by the presence of the stifi'ening element to any appreciable extent inasmuch as sufiicient pressure is applied during the sole molding operation to embed the stifl'ening device in the sole, this being possible because its construction is such that maximum strength and rigidity are obtained in the stiflener With a minimum thickness of the metal plate.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States is 2- 1. A mold having a surface shaped transversely and longitudinally to the desired curvature of the outsole of a finished shoe, and having means to engage a shank stiflener and hold it in predetermined relation to the curvature of said surface.

2. A mold having a surface shaped to the curvature of an outsole including a pronounced break at the ball line, and having shank-stifl'ener positionin means including a member to engage a siiank stffener and position it longitudinally in predetermined relation to the ball line and another member to position the stiffener laterally of the mold.

3. A sole-shaping mold having means to position a shank stitlener longitudinally of the mold and means for positioning it laterally of the mold. 4

4. A sole-shaping mold having a locating pin to enter a hole in a shank stiffener to position it longitudinally of the mold and also having means for 'positioning it laterally of the mold.

5. A sole-shaping mold having a pair of locating pins to enter holes in a shank stifl'ener to position it in predetermined re lation to the curvature of the sole-shaping face of the mold.

In testimony Whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

i KARL ENGEL. 

